Former for tubular fabrics.



No. 824,212. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

C. 0. SHEPARD. FORMER FOR TUBULAR FABRICS.

APPLIOATIOE FILED AUG. l9, 1.904.

. v i I I lg/lwlttaezgg Fig. 2 is a similar view, showin the parts in a di e UNITED STATES CHARLES C. SHEPARD, OF WORCESTER,

MULTIPLE -WOVEN MASSACHUSETTS, A

FORMER FOR TUBULAR FABRIOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed Align 19.1904. Serial No. 221.331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. SHEPARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester,' m the county of Worcester and .5 State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and-useful Former ion-Tubular Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a former or temin a loom.

The especial object of this invention is to 'rovide a simple, efficient, and inexpensive comtemple which is designed for stretching out and ironing fiat-Woven hose-covering fabrics. I I

To this end this invention consists ,of the former for tubular fabrics and of the connec- 4 tions for operating the same from the lathe of a loom, as hereinafter described, and more 20 particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of. this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside view of sufficient parts of a loom and the product being produced thereon to-illus-- trate the application of my mvention thereto.

rent'relative osition. i 3 is a perspectlve view of t e former an the consetlons for operating the same, and Fig. 4 is a pegspective view. of a small piece of tubular In the fiat weaving of tubular fabrics great diflidulty is encountered in stretching the tubing as it is woven so as to form a umform edge or selva e and in preventing the tension of the weft-t rowin the fabric. These difficulties are especialiy' hard to overcome in the flat weaving of either'single-ply or double-ply hose-cover- In applyin my invention to the weavof fabrics of t his kind I employ a block w ch-is preferably made of wood and is 10- cated inside of the tube be' woven, and extending back from this bloc is a connection through which the lathe pulls back the block when the lathe moves on its idle or non-beating stroke, while when a weft-thread is beaten up by the lathe the lathe also carries the block forward into the tube being woven. By means of this construction the block or former is given a short re'ciprocatin motion and serves not only to stretch an properlyfshapeLthe tube as'it is formed, but

pie for shaping a tubular fabric as it-is woven ends from drawing in and nar-- it also has an ironing or thread-layin action \which insures the production of a high grade i .e em'ng to the accom an in drawings ,and in detail, A, B, C, and B ddsighate warpthreads which are mounted in a loom to weave a tubular fabric 'T. These Warpth'reads .are controlled in the ordinary man- *ner by suitable harness-frames, whichneed not be herein shown or described, which harness-frames open the sheds throu h which the shuttle is passed, to insert t e weft-, threads, the weft-threads being beaten u byv the lathe L in the ordinary manner to orm' the tubing or tubular fabric T.

- The loom-temple which I-cm'ploy for shapng the tubing or tubular fabric T as it is formed compnses a wooden block having achiseled or narrow forward. edge 10. The rear edge 11 of the block is both wider and thickerthan-the forward edge, and the side edges 12 of the block are rounded. At its rear edgethe block is provided with slots 14, and extending into the slots 14 are the operating-wires 15, which are held inlplace by a cross-pin 13. The wires 15 are preferably in 'theform of loops, andat their 0 .posite ends the loops of wire 15 pass 'aroun a. cross-pin 16. The cross-pin 16 is mounted to slide up and down upon a wire guide-frame 17. The wire 'de-frame 17 is preferably formed of a sing e piece of wire, the ends 18 of which are not completely closed. This gap or opening is left in the guide-frame 17 in order to permit the piecing up of the various warp-threads, and asfthe 'de-frame 17 is made of comparatively h g ht wire it permits theframe to be sufii ciently bent to allow the removal of the cross-pin 16. The guide-frame 17 rests upon and is supported by the warps.

In the operation of a loom-temple or inside former as thus constructed the connectingwires 15 run with the warp-threads. When the warp-threads A or B are lifted, the connecting-wires. will remain down; but when the war threads 0 or D are lifted the cross- -pin wil raise the wires 15 therewith. By means'of this arrangement the connectingwires 15 are shifted, so as not to be in the way of the shuttle. With the shuttle which lays a fil -thread in place the=block is in its retracte position, (shown in Fig. 2,) and preferably slightly MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR o HOSE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

when the lathe beats up -Lthe block will be.

driven by the lathe forward into the fabric, as shown in Fig. 1 On the return motion of the lathe the reed of the lathe will engage the cross-pin and w illagain draw back the block or former. This produces a strong shaping or ironing action, which in practice has enabled me to weave exceedingly durable hosecovering fabrics.

I am aware that changes may be made in practicing my invention by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope'thereof as ex ressed in the claims. I

motion connection between the lathe and block, whereby the block will remain station-' ary during-the greater part of the swinging movement of the lathe and will be forced forward a short distance into the fabric during the last part of the forward movement of the lathe, and will be drawn back a short distance out of the fabric during the last part of the return movement of the lathe.

2. In a loom, the combination of the lathe,

the warps arranged'to weave a tubular fabric,- ablock inside the tube being woven having a chiseled front edge and inwardly-tapering sides, rods extending back from the block through the reed of the lathe, means for swinging said rod up and-down to avoid the last part of the beating-u shuttle, sai'di pa'rts cooperating to form a lostmotion connection with-the lathe, whereby the block remains stationary during the greater part of the swinging motion of the lathe, and is driven into the tube durin the motion ofithe lathe and is drawn back b the engagement of the lathe with stops on the wires during the last part of the return motion of the lathe. 3. In aloom vthe combination of the lathe, the warps arranged to weave a tubular fabric, a block inside ofthe tube being woven, wire loops fitting into slots in the block and pivoted to a cross-pin therein, and a crosspin connecting loops, said cross-pin having its ends engaging a guide-frame which inclosesthe warps.

4. In a loom, the combination of-the' lathe, the warps arranged to weave a tubular'fab 'ric, a wooden block located in the t'ube being woven, said block having a substantially chiseled-shaped forward edge, the wire loops fitting into,slots in the rear edge of the block and mounted on a cross-pin, the cross-pin connectingthe other end of said wire loops, and a guide frame for the last-named crosspin, said guide-frame, being formed by a single piece of wi re. and having an openin or gap permitting piecing of the warp-threa s.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I CHARLES c. SHEPARD.

Witnesses;v

PHILIP W. SoUrncA'rE, JoHN F: OROWELL.

lie'other ends of the wire 

